Merry-go-round.



B. P.l FITCH.

' MERRY-GO-ROUND. APPLIGATIQN FILED b016, 1908.

Patented June 8, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JJ C

WW -Emma;

. I II I l A INVENTOR and J? WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y 7'": NORRIS PEYE'Rs 60., WASHINGTON, a c.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fixz

A TTORNE Y B. P; FITCH. MERRY-GO-ROUNDL APPLICATION FILED 0013.5, 1908.924, 1 55 Patented June' 8, 1909.

INVENTOR 1-H: NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsumarvN. B. r

BENJAMI'N F. FITCH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed October 5,1908. Serial No. 456,167.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FITCH, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Merry-Go-Bounds, of whichthe following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to improvements in merry-go-rounds and moreparticularly to a merry-go-round adapted to carry the passengers with arocking or teetering motion.

Heretofore merrygo-rounds have usually been so constructed that thepassengers are carried around a vertical axis only, or around both avertical axis and a horizontal axis,"

It is a further object of the invention to provide a very strong andsimple device adapted to carry passengers through a very irregularcourse but which is so constructed that there is no danger of thepassengers being thrown therefrom by reason of the irregularity of thecourse.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described in thespecification and more fully pointed out and defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a deviceembodying my invention. the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the device. Fig. 4 is .a section of one of the carrieraxles and showing the ratchet connection between the drive and saidaxle. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of said connection. Fig. 6 is afragmentary, side elevation of one of the rocking beams and the meansfor rocking the same. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

As shown in said drawings: A indicates a hollow standard which may be ofany preferred material, but preferably of cast metal, and which isprovided with a base a adapted to be rigidly engaged to a platform orother supporting surface. On the upper end of Fig. 2 is a side elevationof said standard is a bearing bracket a in which is rigidly engaged abearing a as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and the bore of which is inaxial alinement with the bore of the standard. A main shaft A isjournaled in said standard and in said bearing and projects upwardlybeyond the bearing. Any. preferred means may be provided for rotating ordriving said shaft, but, as shown, a drive shaft a is journaled insuitable bearings on standards a*-a adjacent the main standard. A beltpulley a and a pinion a arerigidly engaged on said shaft and the lattermeshes with a gear a carried on a shaft a which is ournaled in bearingson the standards a and A respectively. A vertical shaft a is ournaled inbearings a on the standard A, and is provided on its lower end with abeveled gear a adapted to mesh with and be driven by a beveled gear a onthe shaft a. On the upper end of the shaft a is a pinion a adapted tomesh with and drive a gear a rigidly engaged on the shaft A and therebydrive said shaft. The pinion a is smaller than the gear a and the piniona is smaller than the gear a, so that the speed of the shaft A is lessthan that of the drive shaft a Rigidly engaged at its center on theshaft A, above the bearing (1 is the main beam B, which may be of anypreferred length and is of stout material. A stud shaft B is rigidlyengaged in each end of said beam and projects longitudinally therefrom,and brackets b are rigidly engaged on the outer ends of said studshafts. Truss rods b are engaged to said brackets and to the upper endof said shaft A and act to prevent the ends of the beam from sagging.Pivoted on each of saidistud shafts is a rocking beam C, which, asshown, are each provided with a central hub 0 affording bearings forsaid stud shafts, and are each provided with a fork 0 at each end inwhich are journaled the carriers D by means of axles cl carried thereon,as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. Said carriers may be of any preferredconstruction but, as shown, they each comprise a pair of side members ofrectangular shape which are secured together at theircorners bytransverse shafts d. Loosely suspended on said shafts d, between saidside members,

are the baskets or seats D, which may be of any preferred construction,and are adapted to always hang in an upright position 1rrespective ofthe position of the carriers.

For the purpose of revolving said carriers. transmission shafts EE arejournaled in suitable bearings e on the under side of the beam l3, andeach of said shafts is provided with a beveled pinion e on its inner endwhich meshes with a beveled gear a rig idly engaged on the bearing (4 sothat when the shaft A is rotated the shafts E will be rotated. Near theouter end of each of said shafts E is rigidly engaged a gear 6 whichmeshes with a gear 0* journaled on the adjacent stud shaft B. Rigidlyengaged on each of the gears a is a pair of sprocket wheels e"c whichare in alinement with sprocket wheels 0 rotatively engaged on the axles(Z of the carriers, and sprocket chains 6 connect said wheels c e withsaid wheels 0 and act to drive the carriers. Rigidly engaged on each ofthe axles (Z adjacent the sprocket wheels 6 is a ratchet wheel a,adapted to be engaged by pawl 0 pivoted on the wheel 0 so that thecarrier will be driven in one direction by the sprocket chain 0 but whenthe device is stopped to load or unload passengers said carriers will befree to rotate in the reverse direction to bring the baskets down totheir lowest level.

F or the purpose of rocking the rocking beams to provide a teeteringmotion for the carriers a disk F is rigidly engaged on the outer end ofeach shaft E, and a crank F is engaged at one end to said disk eccentricto the shaft, and at the other end is engaged to said rocking beam atone side of its pivotal point, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

The operation is as follows: lVhen it is desired to fill or empty thebaskets the device is adjusted by rotating the main shaft A so i thattherocking beams will stand at an ingers to enter cline, with thecarrier at one end thereof at its lowermost point in which position oneof its baskets may be brought down low enough for passengers to enter orleave. To bring the baskets down to position for the passenor leave thesame the carrier is rotated manually in the reverse direction from whichit is rotated while in operation until each basket has been lowered.Such reverse rotation of the basket is permitted by reason of the pawland ratchet connection between the sprocket chain and the axle (Z onwhich the carrier is mounted. When the baskets of one carrier have beenfilled or emptied. the other carriers are then brought into position inthe manner before described.

When the shaft A is driven the carriers are revolved around said shaftand are rotated on their axles, so that they revolve both in verticaland horizontal planes. At the same time the rocking beams are rocked bythe cranks F, thereby producing a teetering effect. Obviously a deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention will be simple and strongand the passengers will be carried over a very irregular course, andmany details of form and construction may be 'aried without departingfrom the principles of my invention.

I claim as my inventhm:

l. in a device of the class described the combination with a horizontalmain beam of means adapted to revolve the same. a rocking beam on eachend thereof. and verti cally rotatable carriers journaled axially onsaid. rocking beams.

In a device of the class described the combination with a horizontalmain beam of means adapted to revolve the same. a rocking beam on saidmain beam. means adapted to rock the same. a horizontal axle on saidrocking beam, a rotatable carrier on said ale and means adapted torotate said carrier.

3. In a device of the class descrilwd the combination with a horizontalmain beam. of means adapted to revolve said beam in a horizontal plane.a rocking lwam pivoted on each end of said beam, revolving carrierssupported thereon and adapted to revolve in vertical planes. and seatspivoted on said carriers.

l. in a device of the class described the combination with a verticalmain shaft. of a horizontal beam rigidly engaged thereon. means forrotating said shaft. transverse rocking beams on said beam. revolvingcarriers on said rocking beams adapted to revolve in vertical planes.and seats pivoted in said carriers.

5. in a device of the class described the combination with a standard ofa horizontal main balm pivotally supported thereon. means for revolvingsaid beam. a rocking beam pivotally supported on each end of said mainbeam. revolving carriers pivoted on said rocking beams. means forrevolving said carriers in vertical planes. seats pivoted in saidcarriers. and means for rocking said rocking beams.

(3. in a device of the class described the combination with a standardof a vertical shaft jonrnalml therein. means for rotating said shaft. ahorizonhl main beam rigidly engaged on said shaft. a rockii'ig beampivoted on each end thereof. means adapted to rock said rocking beams.revolving carriers pivoted on said rocking beams. and means for rotatingsaid carriers in vertical planes.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a standard ofa vertical shaft jonrnaled therein. means adapted to rotate said shaft.a beam rigidly engaged on said shaft. a rocking i am pivoted on each endof said beam. a beveled gear on said standard. shafts jonrnalml on saidbiam. and adapted to be rotated by said gear. means on said shaftsadapted to rock said rocking beams. a carrier pivoted in each end ofeach rocking beam, means for rotating said carriers, and seats suspendedfrom said carriers.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with a horizontalmain beam, of a transverse beam pivoted on each end thereof, an axle ateach end of each transverse beam, basket carriers journaled on saidaxles and means adapted to impart to said carriers a combined revolvingand teetering motion.

9. In a device of the class described the combination With a standard ofa main shaft journaled therein, means for rotating said shaft, abeanrrigidly engaged on said'shaft, longitudinally directed transmissionshafts journaled on said beam, means for rotating said transmissionshafts, a rocking beam pivoted on each end of said beam, means on saidtransmission shafts adapted to rock said rocking shafts, an axlejournaled in each end of each rocking beam, a carrier on each axle,means adapted to rotate said carriers in one direction When the mainshaft is rotated and to permit rotation thereof in the oppositedirection when said shaft is idle, and a plurality of baskets suspendedfrom each carrier.

, In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in thepresence of tWo Witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH.

